Method for germicidal treatment of air-borne bacteria



H. w. ALEXANDER I 2,350,665

MTHOD-FOR GERMICIDAL TREATMENT F AIR-BORNE BACTRIA Junev 6, 1944.

Uriginal Filgd' March 13, '1942 y'nSheeizs-Sheel; 1

June 6, 1944. H. 'w. .ALEXANDER 2,350,655

METHOD FOR GERMIGIDAL TREATMENT OF AIR-BORNE BACTERI y Original Filed March 13, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 www.,

`Patented June 6, 1944 METHoD Fon' GERMTCIDAL TREATMENT oF Amr-BORNE BACTERIA Horace W. Alexander, Erie, Pa., assignor tol American'Sterilizer Company, Erie, Pa.

original application March-13, 1942, serial Nq.

Divided and this application March 26, 1943, Serial No. 480,692

(Cl. Z50-43) 6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in a method of and apparatus for germicidal treatment of air-borne bacteria.

More particularly, the invention pertains to a method of and apparatus for creating ultraviolet barriers in spaces such as operating rooms, class rooms and the' like, whereby the air-borne bacteria circulated in the space by convection and movement of persons or objects therein is eX- posed to the lethal rays of ultraviolet radiation generators.

An object of the invention is to provide a method of sterilizing a space, such as an operating room, with a plurality of overlapping, conceni trated, lethal, ultraviolet radiations of sufficient potency to sterilize the air as it moves through the beams of lethal rays.

A still further object is to provide an improved germicidal lamp wherein the ultraviolet radiations therefrom are` controlled in such a manner that the beam of light therefrom is condensed into a substantially flat, fan-shaped form and with means attached to the lamp for varying the thickness and concentration of the beam.

A still further object includes a specific manner and method of sterilizing the air in an operating room with a plurality of overlapping, horizontal beams adjacent the top and underside of theA operating table, whereby the danger' of air-borne infection to the patient being operated on is vastly minimized.

Prior' workers in the art have recognized broadly the problem of irradiating air with lethal light tov minimize air-bornev infection, as illustrated in the patent to Gordon M. Fair and William Firth Wells, No. 2,198,867, dated April 30, 1940, and the paper of Professor William Firth Wells entitled Bactericidal irradiation of air, published in the Journal of the Franklin Institute, vol. 229, No. 3, March, 1940'.

Thisl invention contemplates an improvement over' these basic studies of air sterilization and includes a novel method of room sterilization and anA apparatus, including a lamp casing provided with a reflector and'control'baflle therefor, whereby the ultraviolet rays of the lamp may be focused in such a manner' as to provide a true barrier of lethal concentration.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic, Vertical section of an f operating room, showing the placement of the ultraviolet irradiators on the side Walls thereof and the overlapping of beam barriers.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic top plan of an operating room, illustrating the manner in which the 65 beams form an overlapping' lethal barrier to airborne bacteria above and below the operating i table. l

Fig. 3 is a distribtioncllrve' of the ultraviolet radiation of the germi'cidal lamp in several posi'- tions. n y g Fig. 4 is an end view of the improved lamp cas ing with the front baille or hood inl-fully opened position.

Fig. 5` is a frontplan View of the rradiator lamp and reflector therefor, showing its brackets; and with the shutter or baffle in lowered position.

Fig. 6 is' a transverse, vertical section of the lamp and reflector', showing the irradiator tube mounting and Abaille in lowered and partially raised position'. Y l l Fig. 71s' a diagrammatic view of the germicldal lamp and indicating" themanner'in which the' ra-ys thereof are reiiected in aA at beam when viewed from the side. y

It has now been established that ultraviolet radiation of germicidal wave length is" anV iiii herently unique; agent for the effective killing of air-borne bacteria. Ultraviolet energy is substa-'li-e tially unabsorbed by air' and, thereforejwithot any eliect thereon, andthe effectiveness yof the radiation is limited almost solely by the density of the4 bacteria in the air' and by the distance the radiant energy canrtravel before being irl" terceptedj by a wall or other absorbing medium.

While the present concept' includes th;r metliotl of producing horizontal', overlapping beams of lethal intensity ultraviolet radiation, producedby any formL ef ultraviolet radiator" arrdgpr'oietijng apparatus, the invention alsoV specifically include' an apparatus for 4carrying out this method', H Referring to Figs'. 4to '7, inclusive, it wilt be observed that theI applicant has invented a novel and` practical form of projector consisting oi an elongated casing I'l having' rear, top,y and` bottoni walls 3, 5; and l, respectively. Thel forward edges of the top and bottoni Walls" are downturned; as' denoted' by numerals 9, to' lie'para-llel to the rear Wally 3. The eXtrnle'-li11er` edgeS'of thepoltiolls are further' iriturried, as" indicated by numerals I I: and' I3", tofon al Support fr'tl'le top a-lltljbottol'il edges of the Horizontal, parabolic ree'c'tr' I5.

The casing I and reflector I5 are secured to end members Il which may be castings or stampings having right angled portions I9. These end members or braces I9 act as end walls for the lamp casing While giving reinforcement and rigidity thereto. Attached to the inner wall of the end angle members I'I is a conventional tube socket shutter 33. This baille may bel placed in anyy adjusted position through the medium of endl the lower rays .of the tube Fig. 6 shows the baffle 33 in dotted Alines shows wing nuts 35 whereby 25 may be controlled. in fully opened position and it in partially raised position'.

In forming the curved reflector l5, itis so con#y structed that the rays A and C are directed in substantially parallel paths so that the beam of .ultraviolet irradiations has considerable length but comparatively little vertical spread, and, consequently, the reflector contour prevents little lreflecting radiation in adirection belowY the horizontal. `Such stray rays are prevented by intercepting the direct irradiation of the tube in a direction below the horizontal means lof the baf- 4fle33. f .ff

The distribution of ultraviolet radiation in microwatts per square centimeter at one meter distance is plottedonvthe chart illustrated in Fig. 3. It will thus be appreciated that this type .of reflector will give va long, flat, horizontal, fanshaped beam of ultraviolet radiations of Alethal concentration.

In Figs. 1 and 2, there is disclosed the preferred manner of sterilizing the air inan operating room, whereby two distinct lethal barriers are formed and thereby substantially eliminate the danger ofA air-borne infection toa patient beingoperated on. In thesedrawings, defnotes'an operating room on lwhose walls are placed a plurality of ultraviolet irradiators, as heretofore described. In placing vthe irradiations, it isv preferable topositiona lower series ..|0| on the' wallsat a height whichwillnot rise .above theoperating table |02 but'will strikethe lowerA extremities of the'operating team |33. A -second series of irradiatorsf|04 v'is positioned slightly above the'eye levelof the operating team, `andl thus,` there vis created twohorizontal, substantially flat beame'd,foverlapplng, irradiated areas |05 and |06, respectively. The manner in .whichthese projected beams'overlap when projected'from the source lis diagrammatically shown in`Fig.2.' .l j f Thus, a patient lying on table |02 is substantially insulated from air-borne bacteria circu lated by reason of the movementof the operating team from below the operating table level and from similar circulation in the upper portion of the operating room |00.

..While the use of two vertically spaced, 'horizontal and oppositely positioned and overlapping .beams of ultraviolet radiation is one'mannerY of paratively small, a horizontal barrier may be created by the use of a germicidal lamp placed on the wall of a room slightly above the normal eye level so that the flat beam of light is projected across the room to the opposite wall thereof.

With ultraviolet irradiating tubes of the type now being made and of 30 watts intensity, it is possible, with the use of a lamp housing, as before described, to project a lethal barrier upward to 35 feet in length.

The light ray projector, forming a part of this "invention, may also nd application over doorways to hospital wards, sick rooms, school rooms and the like and may be used to form a vertical barrier between cubicles or between adjacent beds in a ward.

This application is a division of my pending application Serial No. 434,597, filed March 13, 1942.

What I claim is:

1.Y The method of forming a germicidal barrier across a space, which comprises projecting a plu rality of unobstructed substantially flat beams of oppositely positioned sources of ultraviolet irradiationsV in suchja manner that the outer portions of said beams intermingle in co-planar relation to each other, the said beams having substantially no stray irradiations beyond their normal planes.

2. The method of sterilizing a space, which comprises generating a source of ultraviolet irradiations and projecting said irradiations in the form of a substantially flat beam so controlled as to have substantially no stray irradiations above or below the normal plane of said beam.

3; vThe method of sterilizing an operating room having an operating table therein, consisting of projecting substantially lat horizontal beams of ultraviolet irradiations from oppositely positioned sources in such a manner that the outer portion forming alethalbarrer to air-borne infections,

of said ultraviolet beams lie in co-planar relation to each other, the said beams having substantially no stray irradiations beyond their normal planes. i

.4. The method of sterilizing an operating room as set forth in claim 3, wherein two or more pairs of oppositely positioned sources of ultraviolet irradiations are utilized and each pair of oppositely positioned ultraviolet irradiation sources are vertically spaced from each other.

5. The method of sterilizing an operating room as set forth in claim 3, wherein the overlapping portions ofthe horizontal beams of ultraviolet irradiations overlie and underlie the top plane of the operating area.

6.A The method of forming a germicidal barrier across a space which comprises projecting a substantially flat beam of ultraviolet radiation across said space, the intensity of said beam when measured at a point in the focal length of projection at a given distance from the ultraviolet radiation being at least twice the intensity of said beam at the same distance when measured at an, angle of 20 from said focal plane.

HoRAcE w. ALEXANDER.' 

